Oscar Pistorius has spoken about the moment he pulled the trigger of the gun that killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
Taking to the stand during the trial in South Africa, Pistorius said he became frightened when he heard the bathroom door opening and pulled the trigger before he could think.
‘I didn't think about pulling the trigger. As soon as I heard the noise, before I could think, I pulled the trigger,’ he said on his fifth day of testifying. During yesterday’s session on the stand, the athlete also said he blamed himself for taking Steenkamp's life.
He added that when he found his girlfriend slumped over the toilet, after shooting her in the bathroom, he kept saying, 'Baby hold on. Jesus, please help me.'
Pistorius also read aloud the Valentine’s card Steenkamp had given him earlier that same day. ‘Roses are red, violets are blue,' he said, his voice cracking. 'I think today is a good day to tell you that I love you.’
He did not testify on camera, but those outside the courtroom were able to hear his testimony via an audio feed.
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.